Burrowing owls are one of the coolest bird species. Unlike other types of birds that live in trees, this obscure variety of owl actually lives underground.
They dig holes in the dirt just like rodents do and burrow into the darkness.
With such a fascinating living situation, it’s no surprise that researchers would want to study the species to find out what makes them tick. That’s what the Hawk Conservancy Trust had in mind when they set up a hidden camera outside one of the owl’s nest. However, things didn’t exactly go as planned. Once you see the video footage that the group recorded, you’ll understand.
“When you try to get some ‘hidden camera’ footage but your Burrowing Owls immediately find your camera…” the video description reads.
Pretty much instantly, the owls realized something was different about their home.
They saw the strange camera setup and went over to investigate. One curious owl can be seen standing inches away looking directly into the camera lens while angrily squawking. It’s very obvious that the owl doesn’t appreciate the intrusion into its territory.
Soon, another owl joins in on the ruckus.
The owl can be seen coming out of the hole and staring the camera down with a very intense look on its face. All of sudden, it charges directly at it.
The next thing we see is the camera getting knocked off its stand.
The video then fades out to footage of the camera facing upwards towards the sky.
“My main goal was initially to secretly film them showing off natural behavior as a species that dig and build nests underground using their feet,” conservancy manager Tom Morath told The Dodo.
In theory, it was a good plan, but this time, the owls clearly won.
Morath’s experiment lasted all of a few minutes before the rambunctious owls sent his camera tumbling to the ground.
“Owls: 1, bird team: 0,” said Morath.
All in all, it was pretty hilarious seeing how things turned out, and it’s great that Morath has a sense of humor about the whole thing.
While some researchers might get upset, Morath calmly accepted defeat this round. Although, we imagine he will likely try filming the burrowing owls again in the future. The conservancy just needs to figure out a way to disguise their camera better so the curious owls don’t discover it.
Either that or find some new owls to study that are less inquisitive.
However, due to the species’ current conservation status, that might not be as easy at it sounds.
Burrowing owls are currently classified as endangered in Canada, and threatened in Mexico, Colorado, and Florida. Its status is largely due to habitat loss and declining prairie dog populations — one of the owl’s main food sources.
It’s possible that the Hawk Conservancy Trust’s research into the species could play a big role in saving them. However, only time will tell. We can only hope that things will change for the burrowing owl in the future.
Although, if one thing is for sure, it’s that the charismatic owls are certainly very funny to watch.
Check out the hilarious hidden camera footage of the burrowing owls below.
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Source: Hawk Conservancy Trust
